Serial Tripper

Yesterday, Jen and I decided to change our Sunday routines and go around Manila with our cameras slung around our necks. We’ll be going on a trip to Ilocos in a couple of weeks, and I thought it’d be a nice date idea to walk around Intramuros as sort of a dry-run for our Vigan old city tour.

Always freshly brewed and with no preservatives. So, in effect, they’re serving healthy cups of tea in massive amounts per day.

But first, there was a little place in Binondo, Manila we had to check out. Enter Simple Line,  a milk and fruit-flavored tea joint that just had their soft opening (thanks to our good friend Cherry, pictured above with Jen!) at G. Masangkay Street, near Metropolitan Hospital.

Simple Line has already made its presence known on the outskirts of the University of Santo Tomas (UST), with students creating long lines well outside the stores there, and it’s a great thing that they have come to Binondo to showcase their brand of milk tea variants.

Here are a few quick tips about the teas they offer:

• Black Tea is full-bodied and strong, and has been linked to reduced chances of cardiovascular diseases.
• Oolong Tea boosts metabolism and aids digestion (hence it is called weight-loss teas).
• Jasmine Green Tea has this aroma that brings calmness and relaxation.
• Among the many fruit-flavored teas they offer are blueberry, passion fruit, strawberry, peach, lychee, melon, and apple. They also have yogurt available as a flavor. All said varieties can be paired with green or black tea.
• Their cheapest options are just at Php 35 (medium) and Php 45 (large). Just check out the Special Black Tea and Jasmine Green Tea options.
• You have control over your tea’s sweetness level. They have a scale of 0% (no sugar) through 110% (extra sweet) levels; again, just pick out what suits you best.

I forgot which milk tea Jen opted to go for, but I decided to try out their Coffee Konjac Oolong Milk Tea (Php 70, large). Being the milk tea junkie that I am (actually, I’m drinking a cup of hot milk tea right now), comparisons automatically came into mind. And my verdict? This one has a fighting chance against the other brands!

The clincher, however, was that they only use 100% premium tea leaves for their teas. These leaves they cook on a daily basis, and what isn’t consumed by the end of the day gets disposed of. Always freshly brewed and with no preservatives. So, in effect, they’re serving healthy cups of tea in massive amounts per day. Diabetic? No worries. They can serve no sugar beverages, just tell them so.

Living or working in the Binondo area? You can call them at +63 938 874 6753 for delivery. Buy at least five cups and your delivery costs are waived. (If you’re living elsewhere, fret not as there’s a parking lot right across the street. Talk about convenience!)

As a last note, we found this cute Hello Kitty car right outside the store, and I thought I’d share this with you via a photo I took after we’ve enjoyed our cups of milk tea. Visit Simple Line when it formally opens on Saturday, September 17, 2011!

Simple Line
1425 G. Masangkay Street (near Metropolitan Hospital)
Binondo, Manila, Philippines
+63 938 874 6753